Kathleen Jones
World’s largest second-use battery storage system
The world’s largest second-use battery storage system is located in Lünen, Germany. The system is made up of 1,000 battery systems from second-generation smart fortwo electric drive cars. The batteries were originally used in the cars, but they were still…
Solar performance and efficiency
The conversion efficiency of a photovoltaic (PV) cell, also known as a solar cell, is the percentage of solar energy received by the cell that is converted into usable electricity. Improving this efficiency is a key research goal to make…
Seaweed derivative major advance for lithium-sulfur batteries
Lithium-sulfur batteries have great potential as a low-cost, high-energy, energy source for both vehicle and grid applications. However, they suffer from significant capacity fading. Now scientists from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have made a…
Saving lives and money: the potential of solar to replace coal
A study conducted by Michigan Technological University reveals that replacing coal with solar photovoltaics (PV) in the US could prevent 51,999 premature deaths annually. The research also shows that transitioning to solar power not only saves lives but can also…
Carbon-neutral fuel made from sunlight and air
Researchers from ETH Zurich have developed an innovative solar mini-refinery that can produce liquid hydrocarbon fuels exclusively from sunlight and air. The technology demonstrates the entire thermochemical process chain under real field conditions for the first time worldwide. The solar…
Santa clara university’s revolve house team won the inaugural smud tiny house competition
Santa Clara University’s rEvolve House team won the inaugural SMUD Tiny House Competition in Sacramento on Oct. 15. Eight other California college teams also competed to design and build a net-zero-energy use home 400 square feet or less. The team…
BMW plans to offer 12 full-electric cars by 2025
BMW Group has announced plans to offer 25 electrified vehicles, including 12 fully-electric ones, by 2025. The company is preparing to reveal a new four-door electric car at the upcoming Frankfurt auto show. The new model, positioned between the i3…
Washington’s largest rooftop solar array
Washington State is a leader in renewable energy, and its largest rooftop solar array is a testament to that. The array is located on the roof of the IKEA store in Renton, Washington, and it is capable of generating 1.3…
Battery500 consortium to spark ev innovations: pacific northwest national laboratory-led, 5-year $50m effort seeks to almost triple energy stored in electric car batteries
The Battery500 consortium, led by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), aims to significantly improve electric vehicle batteries to make them smaller, lighter, and more affordable. The consortium, which includes national labs, universities, and industry partners, has been granted up to…